Debt
by xxCindaxx
Summary: [Kakuzu] "I have a debt to repay to this woman."
1. Payment 1

Debt

Payment #1

* * *

"Urgh...tch!" A long brown haired man panted inconsistently as he held his deep wound. It dripped with dark red blood, staining the ground. His pupil-less green eyes flickered urgently around the area, trying to find anywhere to hide.

"THERE! FOUND HIM!"

"Shit..." The injured man breathed. He felt the warm liquid of his body escape him as he trudged further, ducking and trying to get out of his pursuers' visions. He hid his presence as his view on the world dimmed.

The injured man's breath caught in his throat when he felt a shuriken fly past his cheek, drawing blood.

 _They're here...!_

Being a ninja, the injured man ran for it. He dodged weapons as if it was a normal occurrence, going deeper into the Land of Fire's border. He was desperate to get away.

"GET BACK HERE! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH BREAKING OUT OF JAIL!" Shouted one of his pursuers.

"This guard is persistent..." The green eyed man muttered incoherently. He winced when he felt a strong kick to his back, forcing him forward to grab onto a branch. He swung on it, but the loud snap make him realise that it broke upon receiving his weight. He growled lowly when he realised that they had reached a clearing, and he had nothing else to hold onto. The man skidded to a halt on the grass, mumbling a few curses when he was outnumbered and surrounded. It didn't help that he was injured either.

 _I've gotta get outta here..._

"Kakuzu, give it up. You're outnumbered!" The guard that spoke previously, spoke again. He was the lead guard. With an accusing finger, he pointed at his victim, "Come back safely and no one gets hurt!"

Kakuzu stood there, muscles tense. He was ready to jump anytime soon.

"What's going on here?" A curious voice asked.

Their attention all turned to the woman that had entered the field. She was dressed in a light yukata and wore her brown hair into a long ponytail. She didn't seem to be too alarmed at the sight of blood, but more surprised at the number of people.

"Ah, Miss, you shouldn't be here!" One of the guards warned her, surprising drawn on his expression.

The woman's brown eyes scanned the area. She had seen many prison guards before, but not when they were cornering a person.

 _So he's a prisoner.._.she thought, staring at the brown haired man in the centre.

He looked surprised, but he was thinking of a plan to get out of the area, and the arrival of the girl was what he would call, _'gold'_.

The female didn't flinch when she felt a cold, sharp metal object at her neck. She felt a slight pain when it drew blood, but not enough to warrant movement. Behind her stood the jail-breaker, Kakuzu, holding a kunai to her neck.

 _He got here really fast..._ the female thought absentmindedly.

Kakuzu's grip on her was strong; it was around her shoulders. He didn't feel any form of resistance, which confused him. But, he didn't question it. He would do it later.

"If any of you move...I will kill her!" Kakuzu threatened.

The guards tensed and they let out a low growl, despising his way of taking a hostage.

"Lowly scum...!" One of them muttered.

"STAND DOWN!" The head guard raised his arm to the side, signalling his subordinates to stop.

"But...!"

"He's got a hostage." The lead guard narrowed his eyes at the prisoner and woman. Hatred burned in his eyes, "As much as I hate it...we'll have to let him go...for now." His tone darkened.

Kakuzu ignored the protests of the platoon of guards, slowly inching back into the forest. He was ready to flee, and it was all thanks to that woman. It _did_ confuse him that the guards didn't persist in his capture. It was as if there was something stopping them.

 _Maybe the girl?_

Strangely though, the woman wasn't scared. She stared at the prisoner escapee with mindful eyes as he roughly wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her with him as he fled.

Kakuzu felt the blood come down his clothes the more he moved. He had forgotten his wound was still bleeding, and thus, he neglected it. He was forced to stop, panting vigorously as he put the woman down.

She just stared at him for a long while as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"What the hell are you looking at?!" He snapped.

"...you're injured." Her tone was almost bland as she stated the obvious.

"So?"

"Come this way." She lifted herself and beckoned for him to follow her.

Kakuzu made a face and contemplated his options. Should he stay put? Or should he follow a woman he knows nothing about, who could be leading him into a trap?

"If you're thinking it's a trap, you're wrong." She read the expression on his face. It was almost an open book.

"What?!" He inhaled sharply. Blood dripped onto the ground.

"If you don't hurry up, you'll bleed to death." This time, her voice held a high pitch, as if she was fussing over the problem. "Hurry up!" She waved her hand to make him follow her.

When he didn't budge from his spot, she frowned and glared at him, before stomping over and grabbing his arm, pulling him roughly with her.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kakuzu hissed. He tried to dig his feet into the ground to halt the dragging, but the female's hidden strength had surprised him and he was forcibly dragged along. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"I want you to follow me and stop complaining!" The female snapped. She huffed and continued, throwing back snappy and curt responses whenever he said something.

Finally, they reached a small house in the middle of the forest. It was covered from a normal person's view since they had to go through a secret passage to get there.

"Alright, we're here." She led the man through the garden, which had many herbs and spices, as well as vegetables planted. There was a lot of vegetation and trees for fruits, and even wheat on the side and a small mill.

 _A farm girl...?_ Kakuzu was confused. _Why the hell did she bring me here?_

"In we go." After unlocking the door, she pulled the prison escapee in and led him to a room where he could see some surgical equipment and bottles. "You lay down first. I'll be right back."

Kakuzu turned around to face her, but she had gone further into the house. It was bigger than he had thought. He stayed put and looked around the room - it was spacious but not big enough for it to feel cramped. There was a bed on the right side, near the window, with fresh white sheets. A long glass cabinet that went up to his knees sat up against the wall at the end and side of the room, forming an upside-down L shape from where he stood. Stored inside the cabinet was several bottles, all labelled. On top of that cabinet was the surgical equipment and a heap of bandages.

The prison escapee made his way towards the cabinet, taking the bandages and beginning to dress his wounds.

"I thought I told you to sit down, not dress your wounds, you idiot!" The female snatched the bandages out of his hands and pointed at the bed, almost glaring at him. She hissed, "Get. On. The. Bed."

He soundlessly compiled - even though he was absolutely reluctant.

 _What a pushover..._ he thought with annoyance.

"Good. Now take that shirt off so I can see the wound." She instructed, getting a few things from the cabinet.

Kakuzu frowned. "Why is the hostage helping the villain?" He almost cackled at the irony of it.

"You could say I'm a doctor of sorts." She wore gloves and took some equipment on a tray over to him.

Kakuzu noted that she didn't have any surgical equipment on the tray - it puzzled him.

"A doctor?" He questioned.

She sighed at the man. He had too many questions! She carefully peeled off the clothing stuck to his skin via blood, making sure it was as gentle as possible. She then inspected and cleaned the wound, making sure there weren't any foreign particles, before placing her hands over the wound. Her hands formed a light green.

Kakuzu watched her the whole time.

 _She's a medical nin?_ He thought.

"You can relax. I'm just healing you. It might take a while, though, since the wound is deep. So you can rest easy." She nodded at him before focusing on the wound.

Kakuzu didn't know whether or not to trust this girl. He was honestly just confused - even if she was a medical nin, why did she help him? Surely she had an objective?

"You must be wondering why I helped you." She spoke with a bored tone, brown eyes trailing to his face.

Kakuzu held a funny expression. Did she read his mind?

"It's obvious from your expression."

"...then why did you?" He asked, diverting it back to the topic.

The medical nin just observed him for a long while, before she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting out a small sigh. "It'd be against my morals to leave an injured person injured."

The escapee stared at the woman, an eyebrow raised. His brows then furrowed; she had too noble of a reason - was she making it up?

"...there aren't people like that in the world." Kakuzu scoffed. He had gone through something like this before - but he was betrayed. Trusting the other party on words alone are not sufficient enough. "I could kill you after this." He muttered.

"Will you?" She challenged, a smirk playing at her lips.

Kakuzu frowned. That wasn't what he was expecting. He turned his head into the opposite direction of her, so that he was facing outside the window and staring at the maintained garden.

Knowing that he won't say anything in return, the medical nin chuckled lightly and changed the topic. "The garden outside was actually all planted by me. There are a huge variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as herbs." She paused, "Oh, I'll need to make some herbal soup for you to help in your production of blood."

Kakuzu's brow rose. His eyes remained turned to the garden. A knock sounded on the front door. He saw somebody outside – if his eyes weren't failing him, it was a child. A boy.

"That must be Kaede." The medical nin mainly spoke to herself. She retracted her hands from Kakuzu's abdomen and stood up, glancing over her shoulder to look at the escapee. "I'll be right back. Don't move from your spot, or else the wound will open up again. The healed area is quite shallow right now."

The door quietly closed behind her. Kakuzu stayed quiet, instead, he eavesdropped on the conversation between his 'carer' and the boy, Kaede.

"Nao nee-san! Look! I grew this herb! Just like how you told me to!" The boy's voice was high pitched but it wasn't so much that it was girly. Kakuzu couldn't see the boy's face properly, but he distinguished his short blonde hair and shaggy attire.

"That's wonderful, Kaede!" Now Kakuzu knew her name was Nao. She was smiling at the boy. It was completely sincere and different from the expressions she's shown him.

It was silent outside, which puzzled the escapee. They weren't talking at all, but Kaede had a sad expression. Kakuzu could now fully see his face – he had a strange orange colouration in his eyes.

 _What's this brat so sad about?_

"Nii-san said that he'll be back soon. But he always says that. I never know when he'll come back." Kaede's voice was quiet.

"…Kaede, I'm pretty sure that Shota will be back soon." Nao smiled. "After all, he still has many things to look forward to coming back to." She ruffled the young boy's hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "If you ever need to get healed up, just come by."

Kaede blushed and nodded before he went off. Nao watched him go. When he left her vision, she returned to Kakuzu's room, in which she continued the healing process.

"He might have already died in the war." Kakuzu spoke nonchalantly.

Nao was a tad bit surprised, but then gave him a gentle, but small smile. It was almost sad. "Realistically speaking, it's quite likely." She chuckled a little, "But when we think he's dead, he shows up out of nowhere, wounded."

"Hmph."

"Your name is Kakuzu, is it not?"

"What of it?"

"Sorry for the late introductions. My name is Nao. It's nice to meet you."

"Tch...I'll be in your care. But if I find you suspicious, I _will_ kill you."

"I'd like to see you try."


	2. Payment 2

Debt

Payment #2

* * *

"Take this medicine once a day." Nao ordered her newest patient, Kakuzu. She had basically forced him to come to her small clinic and get healed. Currently, a bowl of hot herbal soup had been shoved in front of Kakuzu's face.

He wrinkled his nose when he got a whiff of the strong herbal smell, sitting up slowly. He didn't dislike it, but only thought that the smell was stronger than he had thought. He glanced at the expectant female and took the bowl to start drinking.

Ever since he had used her as an escape route from the guards that had pursued and injured him, the hostage and criminal situation had flipped on its head, and Nao had started to treat him.

 _Just my luck she was a medical nin._ Kakuzu thought, placing the bowl down. _But I have to get out of here fast...I need to retrieve those goods back._

"Good, you've finished it." Nao smiled and nodded at the prison escapee. "I'll come back later with some food. In the meantime, make sure you don't do anything strenuous." She warned and left.

Kakuzu sighed and looked around the bland room. Somehow, it almost felt like another prison, but one that took care of its prisoners better.

He didn't know whether to trust the girl or not. She was experienced as a medical nin since he had firsthand experience of it. And judging by the people that came by on a daily basis, he deduced that she was trusted as a doctor to those people. But she looked young - younger than him.

He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw the same blonde boy as before knock on the door. As expected, Nao answered the door and greeted him, then allowed him inside.

The kid, Kaede, was a regular visitor to Nao's residence. Despite his young age, he helped with the gardening and even miscellaneous duties around the clinic. He had met Kakuzu a few times and treated him with the utmost kindness, like he did anyone else.

 _Too nice. Doesn't he know of the trust and betrayal of this world...?_ Kakuzu frowned when Kaede peered in through the door and greeted the older man, before continuing down the hallway.

 _I wouldn't have gotten into this if it weren't for Nao._ Kakuzu's eyes narrowed at the door, _what good luck, hmph._

To kill time, Kakuzu went out of his room and followed the two to wherever they were going. In a way, he was also exploring the clinic. There were other patients there. The house, though it looked small on the outside, was quite big. There were a few storerooms and even another area branching off into another garden, but this time more of a grassy area.

Nao was aware that Kakuzu had started following them but didn't pay him any heed. She needed to go off and prepare the medicines and food for her other patients. Once they reached the kitchen, Nao immediately got to work. Kaede and Kakuzu had gone off to another room, the man having been interested by the younger male.

 _After this I have to get the medicine ready…_ Nao continued her daily tasks. She was always busy with work – with the clinic. She was the only doctor and people came to her to get healed. Not only for treatable illnesses, but also for wounds acquired from an accident or even from the ongoing war.

* * *

"What are you doing, kid?" Kakuzu crossed his arms and watched as the child climbed a stable wall ladder. This ladder was quite strange. It was able to slide, and reached up to the ceiling from the ground. The wall was full of medium sized drawers that held different dried herbs.

"I'm gathering herbs for the herbal soup." Kaede replied with a smile. He opened a drawer and took some herbs from one, placing it in the bowl that hung from his neck.

"Isn't that dangerous, kid?" The escapee asked. Wasn't he afraid of heights? Afraid of falling? He's not even a ninja!

"Nao nee-san makes sure that it's not too dangerous for me. So the area just under this is soft." The blonde boy grinned and pointed to the ground.

Kakuzu's gaze went to the ground. He pressed his foot on it, and unsurprisingly, his foot was sucked into the ground. "How did she manage that?"

Kaede grinned and took a few more herbs before climbing back down. "It's normal if we just walk on it, but if you intentionally press on it, it will go softer. She never told me how."

Kakuzu took one look around the room again before going out to follow Kaede. The boy went back to the kitchen, where Nao was preparing another set of meals. She nodded her head and thanked the young one before taking the herbs and inspecting them, telling Kaede a good job.

Kakuzu was led to the dining table by hand by Kaede. He plopped himself down onto a seat, waiting for the older man to sit down as well. When he did, he smiled brightly. "This is where we eat!"

"I know that." Kakuzu deadpanned. It was a table in a kitchen – what else could it be for other than eating on and making and preparing food?

Nao hummed a light tune when she cooked her meals – she was quite busy, so the boys were left to talk amongst themselves.

"Has Kakuzu nii-san been out in the war? Nao nee-san told me you had a bad wound when you came here." Kaede asked worriedly.

Kakuzu raised a brow, leaning one arm on the table, "Kid. First of all, she dragged me here. Second, my wound wasn't that bad."

"But she said you would die from that if you didn't get it treated soon."

Kakuzu shot a look at the female, who had eavesdropped on their conversation. She sent a blank stare his way with a careless shrug.

"There was poison in your wound. But it was a slow acting poison." Nao turned her attention back to the pot.

"Poison…?" The ninja's eyes went wide. He didn't even know about it. He clicked his tongue.

"You didn't know, nii-san?" Kaede asked with astonishment.

"…no." He sighed.

"Don't worry, you have the best doctor in the world! She'll heal you in no time!" Kaede grinned. "So then when you get out of here, you can meet with your family again! So that they won't worry!"

"Hey, you make it sound like this place is a dungeon or something." Nao's mouth twitched with slight irritation.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "Go back to meet my family? Hmph. I have none."

Kaede's big orange eyes widened to the size of plates, "No family?!" He was so shocked that he had stood up abruptly and slammed his hands on the table.

"Kaede, sit down." Nao ordered. She mixed the soup while she watched the boy from the side of her eye.

"S-sorry…" He mumbled and sat back down. He turned back to Kakuzu, "B-But…I'm sure you have a mother and father and maybe a brother and sister…"

"They're dead." Kakuzu observed the boy. He had frowned and looked down, a sad look in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, nii-san…I didn't know…" Kaede said softly, "My mother and father are gone, too. I only have my brother left. His name is Shota."

"I don't need your pity, kid. They died a long time ago." Kakuzu leaned back on the chair.

Nao placed a couple of soup bowls down in front of the boys, "Eat up, both of you." She took the other bowls and took them to her other patients' rooms.

"…S-sorry…"

"Stop apologizing, idiot!" Kakuzu frowned. He was getting irritated at the kid's constant apologies.

This time, Kaede didn't speak. He just ate his food silently, feeling that Kakuzu was scarier than he thought.

The ninja began to eat as well. He glanced at Kaede and saw that there were tears in his eyes as he ate. He felt a little troubled. Did he just cause a kid to cry?

"O-oi…" Kakuzu started. He stopped eating. He didn't know how to deal with a situation like this, "Stop crying."

"S-sorry…I-I m-miss my b-b-brother…" Kaede sobbed. He tried to hold in his cries and hiccupped. He hastily rubbed the eyes with his sleeve, trying to get the tears that had come out.

"You mean this Shota guy?" Kakuzu questioned.

"Y-yeah…" Kaede sniffed, "H-He normally e-eats across f-from m-me…b-but I don't k-know w-where he is n-now…"

"Did he say where he was going?"

"I-I know he said h-he w-was going to f-fight in the w-war…"

"Then he's fighting in the war."

"B-but that w-was three m-months ago…"

"You think he's dead?"

"…n-no! N-No way! Brother w-wouldn't die so e-easily!"

"Then he's not dead, kid." Kakuzu didn't even know what he was saying. What was he trying to do, console a kid? He wasn't a counsellor, he was a ninja.

"Hey, stop picking on Kaede." Nao frowned when she entered the kitchen again. She helped a bowl for herself and sat down beside Kaede, "Hey, it's alright, Kaede. Was Kakuzu being mean to you?"

"N-No…I was just thinking about Brother…" Kaede forced a smile, but it didn't fool either of the adults.

Nao fell silent and ruffled Kaede's hair before she began to eat. But after the first bite, she heard several loud knocks on her door.

"NAO! OPEN THE DOOR!" The other side shouted.

Nao narrowed her eyes and stood up, having a bad feeling. She turned to the boy, "Kaede, make sure you disguise Kakuzu." She ordered.

Kaede wiped his eyes and nodded his head. He jumped off the seat and told Kakuzu to follow him.

"Come on! We have to be quick!" Kaede rushed. He proceeded to drag Kakuzu away from the dining room.

* * *

"Hello?" Nao answered the door. She feigned surprise when she saw that they were the prison guards that she had encountered when they were pursuing Kakuzu. "Ah…hello again." She knew that they knew her, since they called her name.

"You are Nao, is that correct?"

She nodded.

"Where is Kakuzu?"

Nao raised a brow, "Kakuzu? Who's that?" She had become good at acting over the years.

"He was the one that held you hostage! You can't be serious, saying you forgot about him?! He's a fugitive!"

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, "That guy?!" She paused and looked down, a thoughtful look on her face, as if she was trying to remember something. She looked back up and then shook her head, "I don't know where he is. He let me go when he got a fair distance away from you all."

The guards looked sceptical. "If that is the case, you don't mind if we search your premises?"

"That's fine. Just make sure that you don't disturb any of my patients or make them agitated. If I find out you did, you'll be working here instead of the prison. And I'll make sure that you do." Nao kindly threatened.

The guards gulped. They didn't want to mess with her, and _certainly_ didn't want to work at the clinic. There were horror stories in which a former worker had told and spread.

"That's a given, Miss. We'll inspect your premises now."

Nao stepped out of the way and let them in. She closed the door after the last one and followed them, watching them as they started their investigation. There were no problems until they reached the kitchen.

In the kitchen sat Kaede on the side that faced the door, and in front of him, their back to the door, was a person with long, wavy blonde hair. She had pupil-less green eyes, fair skin and small lips. She wore a comfortable and baggy attire. She turned around to stare at the guards with a blank expression before resuming her meal.

The prison guards stared at the two of them for a while, "Nice to see you again, Kaede. And who might the young lady be?" They eyed the blonde beauty.

"She's a friend of nee-san's!" Kaede chirped, grinning at the guards.

"As happy as ever." One of them muttered. He turned to the blonde female, "How come you're here? A young lady like you should be helping her family."

The blonde shot a glare at the prison guard, not speaking a word. She oozed of irritation and annoyance, but just continued having her meal, completely ignoring them.

Nao giggled and shook her head, "Sorry about Kana. She doesn't like talking to strangers, nor does she like prison guards. She's always like this. Please forgive her."

"Is that so?" The guard sighed, "Your premise has been cleared. We'll be leaving now." He turned to Nao with a nod and ordered the others to leave with him.

* * *

"That was a close call!" Kaede sighed and melted in his seat, wiping the sweat from his brow.

'Kana' frowned and made a face, growling, "Why do I have to wear a woman's attire?!"

"That's the only way to disguise you, dumbo." Nao bonked Kakuzu on the head gently, causing him to frown. She grinned, "But at least they're out of your hair, ey? Now I can continue to treat you."

"Yay!" Kaede cheered.

"What are _you_ so happy for!?" Kakuzu scowled.

"You can take off that disguise now. They're gone." Nao waved her hand and smiled. "Anyway, let's continue having our lunch."

Kakuzu went off to get rid of the clothes, placing them back where Kaede had gotten them from. The little boy had taken him into a secret passage that was cleverly concealed behind a painting. Behind that, it was a room full of wigs, masks and random clothes, all for the purpose of having a disguise.

 _She's quite prepared…but why?_ Kakuzu thought, sitting back at the table. _Is she used to this?_

But other than those questions in his head, he questioned the woman. Was she after something? Why was she treating him, and why did she cover for him?

"What are you staring at me for? You should be shoving your face with food, not staring at me." Nao rolled her eyes and pushed his bowl of food in front of him, "Eat!"

Kakuzu obliged.

 _This woman's definitely strange._


	3. Payment 3

Debt

Payment #3

* * *

"Kakuzu nii-san, here's your medicine." Kaede handed him a bowl of warmed liquid.

"How much longer do I have to drink this?" The man took the bowl and stared at the kid expectantly. "I have stuff to do after this."

"Nee-san said as long as you finish the treatment." The blonde child responded.

"And how long will that take?"

"Nee-san said it would take a few more days."

"A few more days?!"

"Yeah. Is Kakuzu nii-san in a rush?"

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. He pressed his lips together, "You could put it that way." He muttered, "She's just wasting her time. I don't need her help."

"You would be dead if I didn't help you." Nao snatched the bowl out of his hands and smiled at him, "But see where you are at now? Technically I helped save your life."

"Hmph. It's not like I asked you to." He leaned his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah, well, it goes against my morals to _not_ help anyone in need of help. I swear I told you this already." Nao sighed. She eyed the male, "Anyway, I figured that I should let you out to the garden in the front. I want you to help out in planting and getting vegetables and fruits." She turned to the boy, "Kaede, you too."

Kaede cheered whilst Kakuzu muttered something incoherent under his breath.

Nao pretended she didn't hear anything and smiled, beckoning the others to follow her.

She blinked when she stepped foot outside.

"Nao nee-san is slow." Kaede pulled her hand. "Come on!"

Nao didn't say a word.

* * *

"You guys can go ahead to the kitchen and cook. Kakuzu, Kaede will teach you how to cook some stuff. He knows what we're making tonight." Nao grinned, "I've got to take care of a few errands. I'll be back soon."

Nao waved to the males and went off to her own room down the maze of corridors.

Kakuzu frowned, _I do know how to cook, though._

"We're going to be making curry tonight!" Kaede cheered, placing the ingredient basket on the table. He took some curry leaves and started to prepare the curry. "Nii-san, can you chop and wash the vegetables?"

Kakuzu had nothing else to do, so he obliged. He felt like he needed to repay them back somehow, for taking care of him when he was basically at death's door (even if he didn't know he was, and was reluctant to admit it).

Once Kaede finished the paste and tasted it, he grinned and handed the spoon to the older male. "Try some, Nii-san!"

Kakuzu stared down at the kid with a funny look, "Why?"

"Do you not want to taste any?" He asked with big eyes.

"…fine!" Kakuzu took the spoon and tasted some. It was good.

 _I think this kid is better at cooking than I am…_ He thought to himself. He handed the spoon back to the kid.

"Nii-san, can you get the pot over here?" Kaede pointed to table, where a medium sized pot sat. "It's too heavy for me."

Kakuzu sauntered over silently and came back with the pot. Kaede thanked him and added water and vegetables to the pot, "We have to wait for it to boil and cook. Kakuzu Nii-san, there's another pot in the bottom cupboard. We can cook the rice with that."

Kakuzu did as told. It was probably the first time he was ordered around by a kid, but he didn't know how to make the dish.

An hour passed and Nao hadn't come back. Kakuzu raised a brow and shrugged.

 _It's none of my business anyway._

"Nao nee-san can be gone for half a day at most, because she has patients here. But she never leaves for longer than that. She always comes back with some more things that we can eat or some other stuff." Kaede smiled, stirring the rice in the pot. They had finished up the curry and it was just cooling slightly.

"What does she do for half a day?" Kakuzu asked out of curiosity. When it came down to details, he didn't even know that much about the woman. The only thing he knew about her was that she was a medical nin and she grew her own garden.

Kaede glanced at the ninja with a thoughtful expression, "I'm not too sure. I asked Nee-san once, but she said that it was so that she could visit her family."

"Why doesn't she live with them?" Kakuzu raised a brow.

"Well…Nee-san is actually the feudal lord's illegitimate daughter." Kaede said quietly. "That's why she abandoned her real name. She's only known as _Nao_ now."

Kakuzu's brows jumped in surprise. He didn't think she'd be related to the feudal lord. This sparked his need for more information. It intrigued him. "So then why is she visiting her family? Isn't she an illegitimate child?" From what he knew, illegitimate children weren't needed and were always treated unfairly and horribly. Furthermore, if she was the feudal lord's daughter, it would mean a lot of backlash.

"Nee-san is visiting her mother. She cut off all ties with her father. She hates him." Kaede responded easily.

 _No surprise there._ Kakuzu nodded slowly, "Why did she decide to set up a clinic here?"

"Nee-san told me that she didn't like seeing people injured. You're probably as old as her…she said she wanted to help people, who aren't able to help themselves." The orange eyed child responded. "So since she was young, she studied medical ninjutsu. The feudal lord gave her family funds so that they would keep private about the affair."

 _So it's hush money._ Kakuzu stared at the child. _How does this kid know all this? This wouldn't be something someone normally knows…yet, he's telling me. Why?_ Kakuzu had questions, but he didn't ask them yet. He just let Kaede run his mouth.

"So when Nee-san opened this clinic up, she was able to be one step closer to her dream. She also lives here so that she can treat the patients any time of the day. Nee-san wants to expand it, though. She said she wants to build a school where medical ninjutsu is taught." Kaede turned off the stove. He took out a few plates and helped a serving for both himself and Kakuzu, before serving a few more for the patients inside the clinic. He excused himself to hand the food to the patients.

Kakuzu began to eat and thought about what he just heard. _That could explain why she wasn't scared at all when I took her hostage. There must have been people targeting her if they knew she was the feudal lord's daughter._

Kaede sat down opposite Kakuzu and began eating.

"Nee-san is really nice, so she always does things for a reason." Kaede smiled.

Kakuzu thought for a moment. There was a question at the back of his mind, "How much do the patients here pay for treatment?"

Kaede had a look of surprise on his face when he shoved a spoonful of curry in his mouth. He shook his head, "Nii-san, we don't take payments."

Kakuzu's pupil-less eyes widened. "Then how do you run the place?!"

"Nao Nee-san takes care of it all. I think she goes and visits her mother to get the money. She told me that they normally halve the money so that she can keep the clinic running." Kaede nodded his head, hoping he had accurate information.

Kakuzu's brows furrowed. _So they're basically a free clinic._

Noticing the scary look on his face, Kaede gulped, "Uh, um…Nee-san normally gets patients that don't have any money to pay for treatment, because it's expensive. So that's why she grew her own herbs and has her own garden; for convenience."

"That so…" Kakuzu mumbled. He finished his food in silence as Kaede talked. He had gone off the topic about Nao and had ventured into talking about vegetables and how they were grown.

 _This kid sure loves his vegetables…_

* * *

Kakuzu did a few push ups, testing his strength. He had not done anything strenuous, as advised by Nao, for many days, so he needed to know if his body was conditioned or not. He felt really rusty and frowned, doing a few more. His wound had gotten a lot better, and he was pretty sure he could do a few exercises in the safety of the room.

Once he finished, he stretched and sat on the provided bed, staring up at the moon. He had full view of the garden and the surrounding area of forestry. His eyesight was good and he could detect the movement near and around the area.

He did see a figure coming towards the house. It was familiar, and knew that Nao had come back. He checked the clock in his room, and saw that it was around midnight. She had gone for a quarter of the day.

He didn't move as he watched her come in through the front door. He had left his door slightly ajar and could hear the light padding of her footsteps as she went down the hallway.

When she passed, he could smell the familiar metallic fragrance of blood.

* * *

"Oi! Wake up! You lazy piece of—" Nao threw the covers off Kakuzu, when she was hugged around the midsection by Kaede.

"No! He's sleeping! Nee-san shouldn't do this!" He cried.

"I'm awake, you know." Kakuzu deadpanned, sitting up. "Your loud voices woke me."

"Sorry!" Kaede apologized fervently.

Nao sighed and threw the covers back at Kakuzu. He caught them and frowned. Nao shrugged when she saw his displeased expression, "Anyway, breakfast is ready." She left the room.

Kaede stayed in the room with Kakuzu, laughing and rubbing the back of his head, "Even though I say she's nice, she does do these things sometimes. But it's only to those who have nearly finished their treatment. She did that to the others this morning, too. One of them gets discharged today."

Kakuzu stood up and made his way out of the room, nodding at the child. _So he's here again today…why not just live here?_ The boy normally goes home for the night, but he would come back again in the morning.

The ninja stared at Nao for a long while as she handed the food to him. He was sure that he caught the scent of blood on her. He was sure.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Nao asked, sitting down with a funny expression.

Kakuzu ignored her and stared at the plate in front of him, picking up something to eat. _She probably just cut herself somewhere._

"Nee-san, did you go visit your mother again yesterday?" Kaede asked, "How is she?"

"My mother's fine, thank you for asking. Her business is doing well, too. I gave her some herbs for stress relief." Nao responded. "She's been a bit stressed lately due to the work demand."

Kakuzu heard a few weak knocks on the door. He looked up, "There's someone at the door."

"Huh?" Nao raised a brow, she stood up and made her way there. When the door opened, she gasped, "SHOTA?!"

"Brother?" Kaede's eyes widened and he dropped his spoon, jumping off the chair and scrambling to the door. Kakuzu stopped the chair from falling and continued eating, finishing his meal off first. He could still hear the two of them conversing, but this time at a closer proximity.

Through his eavesdropping, he heard that Shota was just slightly injured and required only minor medical assistance. He could hear Kaede crying and sobbing and Nao lecturing him about a few things.

"Kakuzu, do you mind if you get some herbs for me?" Nao handed Kakuzu a list of things to get from the cupboards as well as the garden. He nodded and began his task.

* * *

"Shota, this is Kakuzu. He's a patient about to be discharged soon." Nao introduced, pointing at the escapee.

Kakuzu had been taken into the room because Kaede wanted him to meet his brother. Nao had sighed and said not to make too much noise.

"I'm Shota, nice to meet you." The man looked a little older than him, but he had the same orange coloured eyes as his little brother. The only difference was that his hair was a few shades darker than the light blonde his sibling had.

Kakuzu gave him a nod, "Kakuzu."

"Wait…Kakuzu? Isn't that…" Shota's eyes went wide as he stared at his little brother and Nao. He had remembered something, "Isn't he a fugitive?!"

Kaede's eyes widened and he stared at his brother, then at Kakuzu, in shock. It was the first he'd heard of it.

Nao had the same expression on her face as before; impassive. Finally, she sighed, "So what?"

"He's wanted!" Shota exclaimed. "He killed the Takigakure elders and took their—"

"Shota, I get where you're coming from, but he's currently a patient in my clinic. Don't treat them as if you already hate them." Nao spoke.

Shota pressed his lips together and looked away, grumbling something.

Nao sighed yet again, "Alright, kids. You'll be staying home while I go run errands. Kaede, you okay with cooking dinner?"

Shota relaxed his shoulders and stared at Kakuzu for a long while, as if expecting him to deal a killing blow to Nao or Kaede.

"Yes!" Kaede nodded. "I'll go pick the vegetables now!" He went off.

"Kakuzu, Shota, both of you help him out. I'm beginning to think that children are more useful than adults." Nao stated blandly.

Shota pouted but went to follow his little brother, and Kakuzu left last. He watched the woman for a long second, before going off to help the others.

Nao went to her room to get changed. She needed to visit the town.

"I'll be back by night."


	4. Payment 4

Debt

Payment #4

* * *

Kakuzu and Shota stared at each other. The latter was glaring at the former, who stared with an expression of irritation.

 _What the hell is with this guy? He's been glaring at me the whole time I've been here…_ Kakuzu frowned. "What the hell's your problem?"

"Cut it out, you two!" Nao nearly threw the basket of vegetables at their heads. "Shota! You prepare the food with Kaede! Kakuzu, you restock the dry herbs!" Nao ordered. "I'll be out on another errand again, so I won't be back till nightfall." With that, she stepped out of the house.

Shota frowned, taking out his dagger to polish. He stared at the closed door with a raised brow, "I wonder what she's in a hurry for." He completely ignored Kakuzu.

"I think her mother might be sick?" Kaede suggested. "She has been going frequently. She's only like this when other people are sick!"

Shota stared at his little brother, before nodding his head and grinning. He ruffled his blonde locks. "Yeah! Definitely. Hopefully her mother's alright."

Kakuzu silently stepped out of the room. He found the room stocked with dry herbs and immediately started sorting through the new batch that had arrived.

 _Stupid woman making me do stupid things…_

* * *

Kakuzu was finally finished. He jumped down from the ladder and felt the ground go soft.

 _Huh. It really is a cushioned landing,_ he thought. He glanced at the clock. It was near dinner time. His brows furrowed. _It isn't time yet._

Having nothing to do, the rogue sauntered to the kitchen whilst his stomach growled for food.

"Kakuzu Nii-san, sit down! We'll be finished soon!" Kaede grinned at him when he came him. The older one just gave him a curt nod. From the side of his eye, Shota had shot him a funny look.

Kakuzu didn't care at all. He wandered over and sat down, resting his cheek on his hand. He burned holes into the backs of the brothers, observing them as they did their work.

"W-what are you looking at?!" Shota, who had been on edge the whole time, spun around and snapped.

Kakuzu raised a brow at the man's behaviour but payed it no heed. He had something on his mind, so he wanted to get to the point straight away. "You mentioned Nao didn't take payments," He started. Kaede glanced over from tasting the soup and nodded. Shota's brow shot up and his lips curled downwards into a thoughtful frown. "If she took payment, how much?"

Kaede blinked in surprise, glancing at his blood brother before at the older man in front of him. Shota shrugged, not knowing anything. He went back to stirring the soup and tasting.

Kaede held up his fingers and counted in his head, eyes staring up at the ceiling in concentration. Once he had counted his fingers, he looked back at Kakuzu, who listened expectantly.

"For taking the poison out of your system – a special poison which is quite rare, healing your injuries, supplying herbal soups and ointments...it would be quite expensive if you went to a normal hospital." The child scratched the side of his cheek gently. "The amount is about..." Kaede's voice dropped into a whisper so only they could hear.

Shota and Kakuzu's eyes bulged out of their heads when they heard, "THAT MUCH?!"

Kaede jumped at the sound of their exclamations but nodded his head, "Y-yeah. The bulk of the cost is mainly the soup and ointments due to the herbs, but for Kakuzu Nii-san's case, the poison extracted was a special poison so there was extra care for you." He explained.

Kakuzu pressed a hand to his forehead and let out an aggravated and defeated sigh. _Yet she's doing all this for free? What is this, charity work?!_

Shota shook his head, trying to rid himself of the shock. He pressed his lips together, "Then what about me? Treating a few wounds shouldn't cost that much."

Kaede stared at his brother and nodded. "Yours was only one tenth of the price of Kakuzu Nii-san's."

As they ate their dinner, Kaede formed small chat with the 2 ninjas, who didn't want to talk to each other. Soon, it was nightfall.

"Goodnight…Kakuzu." Shota stared at the escapee for a long while, eyeing him cautiously. He didn't know whether or not to trust him. In the end, he glanced down at his small brother.

Kaede grinned up at Kakuzu and waved his hand. "Goodnight, Kakuzu Nii-san! I'll see you tomorrow when you get formally discharged." The sibling duo left to a spare room.

Kakuzu stood in the hallway for a long second. He glanced around and took silent steps towards his temporary room. He stopped outside of it and peered in. The window was open, like he left it before. Kakuzu glanced around the hallway once again and made sure the coast was clear, before closing the door behind him and climbing out the window.

He landed on the ground soundlessly and observed his surroundings. The moon was out and illuminated all life. Quick on his feet, the ninja went towards the forest. He could smell blood in the air, along with the faint sounds of clashing weapons.

Once he jumped far enough so that he could hear the fighting clearly, he saw a few moving figures – the fighters. His pupil-less eyes were impassive as he watched. The fighters were skilled and fast; he concluded that they were experienced ninja.

Inching closer, his feet nudged against something heavy and warm on the ground. He stared down and narrowed his eyes. It was a dead ninja. From the looks of the bloodied clothing, he knew that the ninja had died via blood loss.

A figure dropped from a tree, landing right in front of Kakuzu and onto the corpse with a soft groan. Kakuzu quickly ducked and grabbed the arm of his assailant, who had started to attack him once they finished with the other ninja. His grip on the thin arm hardened. He didn't flinch when the tip of the sword hovered over his nose.

"Who are you? Are you part of them as well?" The voice was female.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as his suspicions came true. He stared at the covered face of the woman. "Nao, what are you doing." He stated blandly. Her voice had given her away.

The woman's eyes widened when she got a good look of the person who stopped her attack. The grip on her sword loosened and she pointed it away from him, pulling her mask from her face. She stared at him with an incredulous expression, "Kakuzu?! What are _you_ doing here?!" She demanded. Her voice was a pitch higher – suggesting that she didn't expect anybody to catch her.

"I asked first." Kakuzu let go of her arm and placed it on his hip. "What are you doing, killing all of these ninja? I thought you were a medical nin."

Nao clenched her jaw and pressed her lips together tightly, her arms dropping to her side. She cast her gaze off to the side, where the pile of corpses were waiting to be disposed of. Her gaze wandered back to her patient's. "…I was just taking care of a few things. Shouldn't you be asleep? Last time I checked, it was past the curfew I set for my patients."

Kakuzu didn't speak for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Once he got it all, he shook his head. "…so this was your _errand_." He looked to the corpses. He recognised some of the faces.

Nao's eyes thinned and she glared at her patient. "What of it?" She spat coldly.

"I thought it was strange how you suddenly went off doing lots of errands." Kakuzu started, crossing his arms. He stared the woman down. She didn't flinch, but her eyes hardened and she glared at him once again.

"What's wrong with going on errands?"

"You were killing ninja. Why?"

"They were going to attack the clinic. There was no choice."

" _There was no choice_?" Kakuzu chuckled lightly and shook his head, "You're lying."

"W-what?! How _dare_ you…!" She ground her molars. "What makes you think that?! You wouldn't know if they were attacking or not! You were sorting herbs! How the hell would _you_ of all people, would have known?!"

"They're in the bingo book."

Nao flinched and took a step back, sheathing her sword. She clenched her hands into fists. "Yeah, by coincidence they were. What of it?"

"…and why would you know they were in the bingo book?"

Nao didn't say anything and just growled lowly. She clicked her tongue. "Tch! I got a good look at it! That's how I know."

Kakuzu glanced down at the corpses and then back at Nao. She was avoiding his gaze. "And how much are they worth?"

"The guy on the bottom is worth 5 million Ryo, and the guy on top is worth 3 million Ryo—!" Nao gasped when she realised what she had said. She clamped her mouth shut and sighed with aggravation.

Kakuzu let out a sigh from his nose, "I thought so. Tell me, is this why you don't take payments from patients? I heard from Kaede that the prices for my treatment was…quite expensive. Is this why you go bounty hunting? To support the clinic?"

Nao stared at him for a long while, speechless. She had opened and closed her mouth like a gold fish, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. He had hit the bullseye. Knowing that she had basically dug her own grave, she sat down on a large tree root. Kakuzu watched her. He could see her defeated spirit, as if the truth had finally been let out. He noted that she almost looked relieved, yet tired.

"…you're technically right. Although…it's not because of the patients that I bounty hunt. I think you might have heard from Kaede, since he does run his mouth sometimes, but I did have people come in the clinic for free. It was mainly those who were too poor for mainstream treatment. I still do…but managing the clinic is hard when there is no money.

"Those _errands_ I went on…I said that I'd be visiting my mother, but in actual fact, I can't. She died a couple of years ago due to illness. My good for nothing father had stopped providing funds when she was admitted into the hospital – he said that he'd provide to treat her, since she was his responsibility, but I found out that he had planned to kill her slowly whilst she was getting treated.

"My mother left a good amount of money for me, but before I could get to it, some ninjas had come and taken the money. They were like bandits – and I found out that they had bounties on their heads. So that's how I started bounty hunting. But because of my situation and the number of patients, I couldn't stop. I _had_ to, or else I couldn't treat anybody." Nao explained. She was looking away from the prison escapee and into the distance.

"What about your dream?" Kakuzu asked. "Didn't you want to open a medical school?"

"Yeah. I'm saving up slowly for that, too. But most of the funds I get from bounty hunting go towards the clinic to keep it running."

"…I thought you were only a medical ninja." Kakuzu started. "Why did you hide that you were a ninja capable of combat?"

"Hey…are you saying that medical ninjas are weak? I'll have you know that medical ninjas can defend themselves quite well! We don't just heal people, we can kill others just as well!" Nao huffed.

If Kakuzu wasn't so interested in the conversation right now, he would have sweat dropped. "I mean, you didn't just learn to be a medical ninja, did you?"

"No way. I even went into the academy and all. I'm registered within the hidden village's ninja roster. But I've been out of action lately, because I've prioritised my clinic. They understand that so they leave me alone." Nao replied. She continued, "Anyway, you should be sleeping."

"Hn." Kakuzu turned on his heel and started to walk back from where he came.

"Wait."

He halted his steps and looked over his shoulder, "What?"

"Why did you come?"

"…I was suspicious for a while. You came back with the scent of blood on your clothes." The man explained.

"…I see."

* * *

"Alright, you're officially discharged!" Nao grinned and clapped her hands together. Kaede cheered.

Kakuzu nodded. "Thanks." His green eyes flickered down to the female's brown eyes. They lingered there, before he stared at the others. Kaede was crying, and he had thrown himself onto the recently discharged male. "Kid, get off me."

"B-but Kakuzu Nii-san…!" Kaede sniffed, staring up at him with a swollen face.

"What?"

"Ok, ok, Kaede, get off him." Shota picked his brother off Kakuzu.

"It was fun having you around, Kakuzu Nii-san! I'll see you next time if you ever get hurt!" Kaede waved with one hand and wiped his eyes with the other.

Shota and Kakuzu matched eyes. It was almost like a challenge, but it ended when Shota nodded. "You're a wanted man, Kakuzu. All I can say, is don't get into too much trouble."

Kakuzu's lips curled into a smirk.

"How long are you going to stay here? I thought you said you needed to get something?" Nao hurried him along.

"Yeah. See ya." The escapee turned on his heel and began to walk off, until he abruptly stopped. The others stared at him in confusion when he didn't turn around. "I'll repay you one day, Nao."

Nao's brows jumped when Kakuzu vanished. She blinked a few times, before she shook her head and crossed her arms, heading back inside.

* * *

Throughout the following years, Kakuzu's mind heavily weighed on what Nao did. He started bounty hunting because of her – it was a quick way to earn money and to test out his newfound strength against his opponents. It made his name famous around various parts of the world – as someone to be feared, someone to hide from.

"Oi, Kakuzu, where the hell are we going?" Hidan frowned and raised a brow as he glanced around. They had gone to the border of the Land of Fire.

Kakuzu ignored his Jashinist partner and looked left and right. He remembered the place as plain as day – it was a memory he probably wouldn't forget in his lifetime. He made his way towards an opening from the forest. There seemed to be a few large buildings and a large courtyard, which was empty. However, even though it was empty, when they neared, the duo saw a female sweeping the steps of the entrance of the largest building.

"Hah? Is this the place you were looking for?" Hidan questioned, staring up at the large buildings. He could see people inside, but just barely. "This a school or something?"

"It's a medical school, dumbass." Kakuzu went forward to where the female sweeping was. Last time he visited the place (in secret) there was only one large building. Now it had become more.

"Why're we going to a medical school? I can't die, remember?" Hidan wrinkled his nose.

"We're not here for that." Kakuzu went up to the female, who stopped sweeping once she felt another presence.

"Hello! Is there something I can help you with?" She asked. She smiled at the two of them, which was quite unusual, considering they were Akatsuki members.

"Nao?" Kakuzu tilted his head slightly when he stared at her appearance. Why was she young again?

The female just laughed and shook her head, "She's my grandmother. I'm Nori."

Kakuzu blinked, almost dumbstruck. The woman bore a shocking resemblance to Nao that it was almost scary.

Seeing the expression on his face, Nori giggled. "Did you know my grandmother?"

"…you could put it that way." Kakuzu answered. "Where is she now?"

Hidan stared at the two of them, completely confused. Did they know each other?

Nori's expression dropped into a soft smile. "Granny passed away about 10 years ago."

Kakuzu's eyes widened. He didn't know at all. Last time he had visited, was around 10 years ago as well. How come he heard nothing about it?

Nori nodded her head in acknowledgement when she realised who the person was. She smiled and dismissed the topic with the wave of her hand, "Anyway, are you Kakuzu?"

Kakuzu stared at her weirdly. "How do you know of me?" He didn't recall introducing himself.

"Kakuzu, do you know her?" Hidan asked. Nobody answered his question.

"Granny told me to pass on a message to you, before she passed away. She said: _'you don't owe me anything.'_ " Nori smiled. "Granny used to say that you were a really annoying patient."

Hidan snickered and pointed at his partner, "You hear that, Kakuzu?! You're annoying!" His partner ignored him completely.

Kakuzu stared at Nori with his brows raised and speechless. He finally let out a sigh, knowing that his efforts to get the money was a waste. He had saved it up from when he could – but he didn't have a chance to go repay his debt to her due to his duties from Akatsuki and hiding from being hunted.

"Granny also had something else she wanted to say." Nori spoke up. " _I achieved my dream. It's what you see now._ "

Kakuzu had a slight expression of surprise before he chuckled and nodded at the granddaughter, understanding very well what Nao's message was, before turning around. "I see. Thanks."

Hidan stared at the two of them, eyes flickering from one side to another rapidly, before he decided to follow his partner. "Oi! What was that about?"

"Shut up, it's none of your business."

* * *

"Hey, Granny. I saw Kakuzu today." Nori placed flowers down by her grandmother's grave that overlooked a village. Next to her grave was her grandfather's, Shota. She sat down next to the graves, "He's still alive, and exactly like you described him, too! Did you know he thought that I was you? That was pretty funny! He's part of the Akatsuki now, just like you said before you died."

"I wonder where Grandpa Kaede is? He would have been really happy to see him again!" Nori laughed and poured some sake into 3 small bowls, two that she placed in front of the graves and one in front of herself.

"Well, you told him your message. It's time to rest easy now, Granny!"

With that, the sake bottle emptied.


End file.
